Private Thomas Tattersall
443743 2nd Battalion Canadian Infantry, Eastern Ontario Regiment
Born in Burnley 27th August 1873
Attestation: 19 August, 1915, Vernon Camp (witness Captain G. Anderson)
Killed in Action 3rd September 1916, aged 43
Lived in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
Buried in 2nd Canadian Cemetery, Sunken Road, France
Included on the Nelson B.C. Cenotaph, Canada
Also listed on the Silverton, B.C. Memorial Hall
dedicated "To the Boys of the Slocan Who Answered Canada's Call, and Paid the Supreme Sacrifice."
Burnley Express 13th September 1916

LETTER IN FATHER'S HAVERSACK
HOW NEWS OF FORMER BURNLEYITE CAME
SONS SAD MESSAGE
(Burnley Express & Advertiser 13th September 1916)

Many people of Fulledge and Sion will deeply regret to hear of the death, in action, of Mr. Tom Tattersall, an old Fulledge day school boy under the late Mr. E. Jones, and who was connected with Sion Church and Sunday Schools up to about 20 years ago. It will, indeed be news to them that he was in the Army at all, for he was a man of about 46 years of age, but it will interest and inspire them to know that when his son joined the Canadian forces the father said he would go with him, ands father and son were in the same company of the 2nd Batt. of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Now the son has had the sad experience of seeing his father killed.
The manner in which the tragic news has reached Burnley is also extraordinary. Mr. Tom Tattersall has for years been in correspondence with Mr. Robert S. Heap, of the firm of Messrs. Baldwin and Heap. Machinists, and it appears that the son found on his father’s body a letter addressed to Mr. Heap, and ready for posting. He accordingly forwarded this, with the accompanying note :-
“I found this in my father’s haversack this morning. He was killed yesterday. I do not feel at all like writing, so if you reply soon I will tell you more about it. – Pte. James Tattersall.”
The late Pte. Tom Tattersall as we have said was exceedingly well known in Burnley up to 20 years ago. He was the son of the late Ben Tattersall, who was the engineer at Barnes Mill, and himself worked in the mill. Afterwards he went to Earby for several years, but about 10 years ago emigrated to British Columbia, where he went in for fruit farming. In Burnley he resided in Burnley Lane and many of his old school friends remember him with affection.
The letter which the son forwarded under such sad circumstances is typical of the deceased cheerful nature. In it he says :- “ In normal times it is good to say we are in good health, but in these times one thinks himself very lucky to say he is all here, seeing there are so many ‘pieces’ flying about at times, but no ‘peace’. Things are very lively, and, thank God, so far we have been very lucky. We have both (my son and I) had a few very narrow shaves. I have a little piece of shell, only about 4oz. in weight, which just missed my shoulder by an inch or two, and buried itself in the sandbag behind me. Oh well, a miss is as good as a mile, is it not, and this is a very common occurrence here. Bullets have no terrors for me at all, but these ‘minnies’ , ‘sausages’, ‘whiz-bangs’ &c, are not great friends of mine, and I don’t care at all to make their acquaintance. They are no respecters of persons, and they take a lot of skin off at times. I am pleased to say I think we have got Fritz where we want him, and if the supply of shells is kept up we can keep him there. Nobody knows the true value of shells only the man at the front and I trust the supply will increase, if possible. – Yours sincerely, your old chum Tom.”

His son, James Tattersall was wounded three times [but apparently survived the war.]